2021 Churchill Polar Bears - Workshop Information Packet Contents: Art of Seeing Photography Adventures
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2021 Churchill Polar Bears
Workshop Information Packet
Contents:
I. General Information
II. To Do Checklist
III. Daily Itinerary
IV. FAQ’s
Page 1 of 122021 Churchill Polar Bears Workshop
General Information
Workshop Dates:
Session 1: Oct 25 – Oct 31, 2021
Session 2: Nov 1 – Nov 7, 2021
Welcome!
Thanks again for joining our 2021 Churchill Polar Bears Photography
Workshop. I know you are as excited for our adventure as I am! This document
contains important information to help you prepare for our journey. Please take
some time to read it carefully.
Itinerary & FAQ’s
A copy of our day-by-day Itinerary and trip FAQ’s (found at the bottom of the
workshop page) are included in this package for your convenience. These
documents contain important information that will not be repeated here. Please
read them.
Balance of Fees
The balance of your workshop fees is due Aug 1, 2021 – you will receive an
invoice by email approximately 30 days before. Payment can be made online by
credit card. Please contact us if you wish to use another form of payment. Your
prompt payment is much appreciated.
Page 2 of 12Health/Medical
Prescription Medications – don’t forget to pack an adequate supply of
any prescription medications (also supplements, sleep aids, non-
prescription pain relievers, etc.) you take, as they may not be available in
Churchill.
Allergies – please let us know about any allergies you have AND the
severity of your reactions. It is your responsibility to carry appropriate
medications (e.g. Epi Pen) in case of accidental exposure.
Travel Logistics & Documents
International Flights –
Arrival – book your flights to arrive in Winnipeg (Airport code: YWG)
no later than ~1pm on Day 1 of your session (our first group activity
is at 3pm). We will be staying at the Hilton Winnipeg Airport Suites
which offers a free shuttle service. After you collect your luggage,
call the Hilton at 204-783-1700 to arrange for pick up.
Departure– The workshop ends upon our arrival at Winnipeg airport
on Day 7. Our flight to Winnipeg is scheduled to arrive by ~2pm.
Note: It is not uncommon for flights to be delayed due to weather or
other factors. You may want to consider spending the night in
Winnipeg and travel home the following day. Hotel
accommodations in Winnipeg for this evening are NOT included in
the workshop price.
Additional Hotel Nights – if you need additional hotel nights in Winnipeg
before or after the workshop, we can book them for you at the Hilton at our
group rate of $139 CDN (~$112 USD)/night.
Please let us know ASAP if you need any additional hotel nights
Passport/Visas –if you are not a Canadian or American citizen, you will
need an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada. Most
applications are approved within minutes and the cost is only $7.
Americans do not need an eTA, but a valid passport is required.
Page 3 of 12Travel Insurance – is highly recommended. Policies that cover medical
evacuation as well as many other things like trip cancellation, lost luggage,
theft/loss, etc. are very affordable. See the FAQ’s for recommendations.
Notify Banks & Credit Cards – notify your financial institutions about
your travel plans to prevent problems using credit cards or ATM’s while
traveling.
Mobile Phone Carrier – look into your phone carrier’s international
roaming policies and rates BEFORE leaving home or you may return to an
extremely expensive bill. You may want to pre-purchase a data plan from
your carrier or limit your mobile phone data usage to Wi-Fi only.
What to Pack
Weather Note – obviously the primary consideration is staying warm. Historical
high/low temperatures for October and November are below, but the low
temperature for any given day could dip well below these averages:
October 43˚F (6˚C)/30˚F (-1˚ C)
November 26˚F (-3˚C)/13˚F (-11˚ C)
Clothing – the following are key items to help you stay warm and comfortable in
very cold temperatures. It is not intended to be a complete packing list. Based
purely on performance (weight to warmth), I prefer wool and down for insulation.
Synthetics and synthetic/wool blends are an option, but don’t perform nearly as
well in my experience, regardless of any manufacturers’ claims.
• Heavyweight base layers (top & bottom) – in my opinion, great base
layers are the key to staying warm in extreme cold temperatures and
well worth the cost. I favor merino wool for my base layers. Smartwool &
Ice Breaker are some well-known (aka expensive) brands in this area.
Minus 33 and WoolX offer high quality alternatives at slightly lower (but
still not cheap) price points. Investing in a set of expedition/heavy weight
merino wool base layers for this trip will pay off if temps drop below
normal.
• Mid Layers – thin down jackets/vests, wool sweaters or fleece should
make up your mid layer tops. Lined pants made for cold weather or
heavyweight corduroy on top of your base layer are the best option to
keep your legs warm. Jeans are NOT a good choice.
Page 4 of 12• Outer Layer – a well-insulated parka and ski pants (or similar). Rain is a
possibility so waterproof materials or a separate rain jacket are
recommended.
• Warm socks – merino wool again is my preferred material. I’ve found a
very thin pair next to the skin with a thicker second pair on top work best.
• Insulated boots – something like a pair of Sorel winter boots with a
temperature rating well below zero are what you want. Non-insulated
hiking boots are NOT a good option
• Gloves and/or mittens – you need a pair of thin gloves that will let you
work camera controls without removing them. This is all I typically need in
Churchill – I put my hands in my pockets (with handwarmers) when not
shooting, but for those who tend to get cold easily, a second pair of gloves
or mittens attached to your wrists by lanyards are a good option to keep
your hands toasty.
• Warm hat or beanie
• Balaclava, scarf or buff – to protect your face & neck during extreme cold.
• Sunglasses – polarized lenses work MUCH better than non-polarized
sunglasses to cut glare off snow and ice
• Hand & Toe warmers – cheap, long lasting and very effective, especially
for those whose extremities get cold easily.
Photo Gear – it’s tempting to bring everything you own, but that usually works
against you. The following are what I consider to be the essentials. I’m happy to
give more specific brand/model recommendations for specific items. Just ask.
• Camera Body(s) – dSLR or mirrorless (full frame or crop sensor). ‘Bridge’
cameras with a long zoom (400mm+) are also an option.
• Lenses – I favor zoom lenses for their flexibility in composing images, but
prime lenses tend to be ‘faster’ (larger maximum aperture) which is an
advantage in low light, but you give up flexibility and primes are also
usually bigger, heavier, and more expensive. In my opinion, modern zoom
lenses are so good that the difference in image quality (vs primes) is
negligible.
Your longest lens should reach at least 400mm, preferably 500mm+
before adding teleconverters. Polar bears are large animals and we will be
as close as we can safely get, but you simply cannot have too much
‘reach’. You will also want 1 or 2 shorter focal length lenses. As an
example, lens-wise, my kit will consist of a 12-24mm, 24–105-mm and a
Page 5 of 12200–600mm. If you prefer prime lenses, one lens from each of the three
zoom ranges would be ideal.
• Filters – A polarizing filter is highly recommended for cutting glare of snow
ice and even fur. Clear/UV filters are helpful to protect expensive lenses
but also provide more surfaces for condensation to form – it’s your call.
• Batteries and Memory cards – you will be shooting a lot, maybe more
than you ever have, easily in the thousands of images and hundreds of
gigabytes total. Bring PLENTY of extra cards and batteries. You should
NOT erase/overwrite any memory cards until you get home, even if you
have downloaded the images to your laptop or hard drive.
• Battery Charger – do not forget! As a backup, you might consider
purchasing USB powered battery charger. Thy are inexpensive cheap and
let you charge your camera batteries without a wall outlet. Google “(your
camera model) USB charger”. Note: Canada uses the same electrical
sockets as the US, so adapters are not necessary.
• Tripod – sturdy, but light with a ballhead or gimbal and a quick release
mount is the way to go. Make sure your tripod can solidly support your
longest lens and that you don’t have to bend over uncomfortably
WITHOUT extending the center column.
Also, don’t forget your quick release tripod plates–in fact, I strongly
recommend purchasing an extra plate to leave permanently attached to
your long lens.
• Headlamp – MUCH better than a flashlight because it leaves both hands
free.
• Remote release (optional) - nice to have when working with very long
lenses to help prevent camera shake
Flying with Camera Gear – Nobody even wants to think about putting their
precious photo equipment in checked luggage, so here is the lowdown on how to
avoid any issues:
Calm Air’s official policy carry-on is 20lbs max, but nobody is actually weighing
bags at the gate. As long as your bag(s) is reasonable in size, meaning it will fit
into the overhead bins or under the seat, you should not have a problem. DO
NOT bring an enormous bag that won’t fit where it should. Our plane will most
likely be a 737 (not a small propeller plane), so the space for carry-ons is pretty
standard. Calm Air sees a lot of photographers headed to Churchill and our
groups in previous years have not had any issues, but that’s not a 100%
guarantee that we won’t run into an agent that starts quoting official policy. If
you’re brining that huge 600mm prime lens, consider packing the lens shade
Page 6 of 12separately. Again, the real key is not to attract attention by bringing a huge
bag that won’t fit where carry-ons belong!
Other Things to Pack
• Laptop or tablet –highly recommended. Your photography will improve if
you review your images daily. Doing preliminary selects and ratings also
makes the mountain of images more manageable when you get home.
We will also have several sessions on post processing and image
management
• Portable hard drive - for image storage and/or backup. If you are
considering purchasing one, look for a “bus powered” model – a drive
that gets its power from the computer and does not require a separate
power cord like this one
• Chargers and cables for your mobile phone and other electronics
• Power bank – extremely handy for traveling
Page 7 of 12Churchill Polar Bears Workshop 2021
To Do Checklist
___ Book Inbound/Outbound flights to/from Winnipeg (YWG) and forward
copy of flight itinerary to Ken.
___ Let us know if you need any extra hotel nights
___ Purchase Travel Insurance
___ Notify Banks & Credit Cards of your travel plans
___ Check mobile phone carrier’s international roaming policies and
plans
___ Make a personal packing checklist. Click here for a downloadable
Photo Trip Packing List template you can customize to your own
needs
Page 8 of 122021 Churchill Polar Bears Workshop
Day by Day Itinerary
Day 1 Winnipeg – a shuttle bus will transport you from the airport to our hotel
where you can relax until 3pm when we kick off our adventure with Introductions
and a Workshop Overview followed by a session on Wildlife Photography
Fundamentals. We’ll break for dinner and convene again afterwards for Seeing
101, Ken’s presentation about practical way to develop your ‘Photographer’s
Eye’.
Day 2 Winnipeg – Churchill – we board our morning flight to Churchill after an
early breakfast. Upon arrival, we will transport you to our hotel. Once everybody
is settled, we’ll get together to meet our guides for this trip, who will conduct an
important polar bear safety orientation. Then it’s out into the field until sunset,
exploring the shores of the Hudson looking for signs of polar bears and other
wildlife.
Dining options in Churchill are limited, but surprisingly good. After our meal, we’ll
head back to the hotel where Ken will go over some tips and best practices for
managing images in the field and at home.
Days 3–6 Churchill – Starting around sunrise each day, we venture out along 15
miles of coastline in private vehicles (4X4 or van) piloted by our professional bear
guides, tracking polar bears and trying to anticipate their behavior to be in the
best positions for eye-level photography. Whenever a photo opportunity arises,
we’ll maneuver our vehicles as close to our target as the situation allows before
getting out to begin shooting. Solo bears, sparring males and mothers with cubs
are common sights. Other species such as arctic fox, red fox, arctic hares,
gyrfalcon, rough-legged hawks, caribou, snowy owl and wolves may be spotted
as well. Shooting opportunities can last from anywhere from less than a minute to
an hour or more. Once the opportunity is over or we’ve had our fill, we get back
in our vehicle to continue the hunt.
We break for lunch in the afternoon to recharge and warm up at the log cabin
style Lazy Bear Lodge in Churchill before heading back into the field for more
wildlife hunting with our lenses until twilight.
Our post dinner schedule will be partially dictated by the weather. If conditions
look favorable, we may head out to hopefully capture the Northern Lights.
Otherwise, Ken will demonstrate some of his favorite post processing techniques,
offer his comments on participants’ images or work with you individually as time
allows. We might also to experience and photograph the spectacle that is
Halloween in Churchill - when the whole town comes together to provide security
for town children so they can trick or treat without fear of bears.
Page 9 of 12Day 7 Churchill–Winnipeg – after breakfast we will transport you to the
Churchill airport in time to catch our flight back to Winnipeg. Sadly, our adventure
is over upon arrival at Winnipeg airport.
Note: Hotel accommodations in Winnipeg for this evening are NOT
included in the workshop price.
Page 10 of 12Churchill Polar Bears 2021 Workshop
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Q: How is this trip different than other polar bear tours?
A: This workshop is specifically designed for passionate (but not necessarily
expert) photographers who are looking for the best opportunity to bring home
portfolio-worthy images of polar bears and other arctic wildlife and landscapes. We
are not confined to a tundra buggy or attached to a large group. Finally, this trip is
meant to be a learning experience about the art and craft of wildlife photography
as much as an opportunity to photograph polar bears.
Q: How should I book my travel?
A: You should arrive in Winnipeg (YWG) no later than 2pm on Day 1 of your
session (Oct 28 or Nov 4). Our return flight to Winnipeg on Day 7 is scheduled to
arrive in the early afternoon, but this flight can be delayed by weather. We suggest
planning an overnight stay in Winnipeg (NOT included in workshop fee) and flying
home the following day.
Q: Can you guarantee we will see polar bears?
A: When it comes to wildlife, there are no guarantees. The workshop is timed
specifically to maximize our chances of encountering large numbers of polar bears
on snow covered terrain based on historical freeze-up dates, but climate change
and other factor are making things less predictable these days. Again, no
guarantees.
Q: Is it safe?
A: Polar bear viewing and photography can be done safely if everyone follows the
rules and acts appropriately. Our guides are experienced professionals who are
knowledgeable about bear behavior. They also carry deterrents including bear
Page 11 of 12spray and firearms which are only deployed as a last resort. However, polar bears
are wild animals and individuals may not behave as expected. Intentionally
approaching large predators for viewing or photography is an inherently dangerous
activity. You will be required to sign waivers acknowledging and accepting this risk
as a condition of participation in this event.
Q: What else is there to photograph
A: Beside polar bears, we may also encounter other arctic species such as arctic
fox, red fox, arctic hares, gyrfalcon, rough-legged hawks, caribou, snowy owl and
wolves. Landscapes are also an option and can be quite dramatic with the right
light and weather, especially after freeze-up begins. Finally, we will be on Aurora
(northern lights) alert the whole time we are in Churchill – if conditions look
promising, we’ll head out after dark to hopefully capture some images of the
Northern Lights. However, this trip is not specifically focused on Aurora
photography.
Q: What are the accommodations like?
A: We will be staying at the Bear Country Inn in Churchill. Click the link for more
details and photos. It’s definitely not fancy, but it is clean, comfortable and warm.
Our hotel in Winnipeg will be quite comfy.
Q: What will the weather be like and how should I prepare for it?
A: Specific recommendations will be provided to participants after registration, but
this is the arctic. Be prepared for extreme cold.
Q: What kind of photo equipment should I bring?
A: Specific recommendations will be provided to participants after registration but
a telephoto lens of at least 400mm (preferably 500mm+) is strongly suggested as
a starting point.
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